I would like to swap last Sunday’s futures for today’s #s in the red. The optimistic side of me thinks the Euro FUD will dissipate as the week goes on, unless the bears get the munchies. It’s just idle speculation on my part, as this market is a challenging read.

TAIPEI (AFP)—Taiwan’s Foxconn Group said Monday it had hired Buddhist monks and psychological counselors for its workers at plants in China in a bid to put an end to a string of suicides.
The group, known in Taiwan by the name of its parent Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. (2317.TW), said in a statement that more than 100 counselors have been hired while hot lines have also been set up to provide emotional support.

Foxconn, which makes iPhones for Apple Inc. (AAPL), made the announcement after Chinese media reported that a seventh worker had died at the company’s China operations by jumping to his death. Two others were injured after attempting to commit suicide by similar means.

“So far the services are largely at the Shenzhen plants,” a Foxconn official said, referring to the city in south China where the company employs more than 300,000 workers.

He said some Buddhist monks have been deployed to provide prayer service for the workers.
He declined to give reasons why the Shenzhen plants might have been hit by the spate of suicides.
According to the China Labour Bulletin, or CLB, a workers’ rights group based in Hong Kong, the Foxconn suicides highlight the pressure faced by young workers in China, who must labor for long hours far from their families.

The conglomerate, the world’s largest maker of computer components, which are also used in Dell and Hewlett-Packard computers, employs more than 800,000 people worldwide.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 17, 2010 06:54 ET (10:54 GMT)

Well THAT makes sense…..

.... given that Steve Jobs claims to BE a Buddhist himself… smart move to placate Apple and the powers that be….

But given the DEMAND pressures to deliver more and more iPad’s, methinks the taskmasters at Foxconn are more afraid of the MARKET DEMANDS from apple for more and more, faster and faster, than they are of the whimpers for workforce Nirvana.

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From Conversations with Casey

Monday, May 17, 2010

Louis James: Do you think Greece will default?

Doug Casey: First, you shouldn’t talk about “Greece” like that. We’re talking about the Greek government’s debt. And my view is that not only will they default, but that they should default. Generations of future Greek taxpayers should not be turned into serfs in order to pay for the excess of today’s Greek politicians. And the people who lent the Greek government all that money to do stupid things with should be punished for both their lack of foresight and their collusion with corruption.

And it would be doubly good if this happened, because it would greatly hamper the ability of the Greek government to borrow money in the future, which would limit how much it could spend on all the disastrously stupid things governments spend money on.

A male employee fell to his death from the roof of the employee dorm of Foxconn Electronics’ (Hon Hai Precision Industry’s) Shenzhen factory on May 14, marking the ninth fatality at the facility in the past three months.

Although the victim was found with four knife wounds to his chest, local police have ruled the incident a suicide saying the wounds were self-inflicted, according to a Chinese language YCWB.net report.

Also, the new iPhone is expected to have DOUBLE the resolution of the 3G and have FFS technology, creating a better viewing experience. The panel is 33% thinner than in previous versions, making more room for an expanded battery.

Also, the new iPhone is expected to have DOUBLE the resolution of the 3G and have FFS technology, creating a better viewing experience. The panel is 33% thinner than in previous versions, making more room for an expanded battery.

The current owners of 2G, 3G and 3GS are going to WANT THIS.

Maybe this is confusion on my part, but is the iPhone hoped for in June 4G (ie ITE) or just the next after the 3GS? If the latter, it has a confusing progression.

Also, the new iPhone is expected to have DOUBLE the resolution of the 3G and have FFS technology, creating a better viewing experience. The panel is 33% thinner than in previous versions, making more room for an expanded battery.

The current owners of 2G, 3G and 3GS are going to WANT THIS.

Maybe this is confusion on my part, but is the iPhone hoped for in June 4G (ie ITE) or just the next after the 3GS? If the latter, it has a confusing progression.

I’m going with iPhone 4G. Also, PED is now running the story, including a comment the new iPhone may be available on June 7. if so, our Q3 estimates will need to be revised UPWARD. See here